LA SOURCE

France's MINIMUM VITAL has certainly its own individuality on the desk of progressive rock. Full of grandeur and beauty, "La Source" combines all the right elements for me with excellent guitar and keyboard interplay with some nice complex drumming and deep bass playing. To be honest they are highly original and play their own style which I really like a lot. Songs are well written and offer nice mood and tempo swings with great instrumentation. Lyrics are sung in a language all their own (not unlike MAGMA in approach) which has some real nice sounding phrasing. Overall "La Source" is a deep and professional album which I find upbeat and a positive feeling album.

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Posted Tuesday, March 16, 2004 | Review this album | Report (Review #4860)

This album was quite a deception for me. The French ''Minimum Vital'' developed a very much jazz-rock influenced music in this album. This was already the case during their re-released debut effort ''Envol Triangles - Les Saisons Marines''.

''La Source'' is mostly instrumental and offers little real great and inspired moments. Melody and symphony are definitely not a strong asset from this band. Fine rocking moments are still available, like during the upbeat ''Mystical West'' which is my favourite song from this work. Complexly structured (as most of their music), it offers a more accessible side, more melodic (flute) angle. But it is almost the last track from this work.

This band could never really reach fame (unless an esteemed one). While you would listen to this sort of record, you can easily understand why. These musicians are of course very skilled, but the type of music being played here can't really be enthusiastic to my ears.

Skilled music for a very small audience to which I do not belong. Two stars.

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Posted Sunday, December 28, 2008 | Review this album | Report (Review #195357)

A half-hearted album. Like the previous one, 'The Source' suffers from a synthetic sound quality typical of the 80s which does not correspond to the purpose of Minimum Vital. We can blame the Payssan brothers for being late. After all, Jethro Tull (for example) has been fixing things for some ... (read more)

Report this review (#2463106) | Posted by Muskrat | Friday, November 6, 2020 | Review Permanlink

MINIMUM VITAL OMNI! A slap in the face album for this avant-garde concept from a time when we could still listen and take the time to listen to music, in short! 1. Dance of wishes with keyboards sampling trumpets, 1st interrogation, me refractory to brass; ah a voice but what is this voice, la la; ... (read more)

Report this review (#2307939) | Posted by alainPP | Sunday, January 19, 2020 | Review Permanlink

The opening minutes of this album makes me believe I am in for a drive in Zeuhl Road. But the road soon expires and the new road is called.......... well, it is a street without a name. This is the second proper studio album from Minimum Vital and the follow up to their debut album Saraband ... (read more)

Report this review (#318797) | Posted by toroddfuglesteg | Sunday, November 14, 2010 | Review Permanlink

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